On the Run
by rebelrsr
Summary: Maggie gets information about a pair of women on the run. Will she be able to help before its too late?
1. Chapter 1

Maggie strolled into the diner and took a seat at the counter. "Coffee."

"Need a menu?" The waitress adroitly flipped over the cup in front of Maggie and poured until the coffee threatened to overflow.

"Sure, but… What's good?" Always best to ask for recommendations in a craphole like this. Under the guise of listening to the waitress' favorite greasy foods, Maggie surreptitiously scanned the diner.

A couple of octogenarians in a back booth arguing over having apple or cherry pie. From the way they spoke to the other waitress, cleaning a nearby table, they were regulars. Two women in hospital scrubs, badges clipped to collars. Both wore the stamp of perpetually-tired professionals.

And then there was Maggie's target. A lone woman in a corner booth. Back to the wall.

"I'll have the fish basket," Maggie told the waitress. It had been the first thing the waitress had mentioned. "Side salad, instead of fries. Ranch on the side." She turned away from her surveillance. Putting her back to the woman made her nerves itch, but she didn't want to spook her.

Instead, Maggie grabbed a few napkins from a dispenser on the counter, moving it enough so she could see a blurry reflection of the woman in the polished sterling silver surface.

"Good choice, hon." The waitress scribbled on her order pad. "That all?"

"For now." Maggie flashed a hint of dimples. "Might try some of the pie later." She could see the woman in the napkin dispenser get her order. The clock was ticking. "Where's your bathroom?"

"Around the corner. Last door on the right." The waitress pointed with her pen.

Maggie hopped off the stool. "Thanks. Don't let my coffee grow legs," she called out as she hurried toward the bathroom. She heard the waitress laugh behind her. Maggie pretended to trip over a raised portion of linoleum flooring as she neared her target. She "caught" herself by grabbing onto the woman's table. "Jesus! I'm so sorry," Maggie muttered, not making eye contact as she continued on her way.

Mission accomplished, though. She'd palmed the message from her friend onto the table. Now it was up to the woman to take the next step. Maggie spent several minutes staring at her reflection in the tiny bathroom mirror. Washed her hands. Checked that her gun and badge were out of sight. Then made the return trip to the dining area.

As she passed by the corner booth, the woman flagged her down. "You dropped this," she said, holding out the card Maggie had left.

Maggie patted her pockets as if checking for something. "I didn't… Damn. Guess I did. Thanks." She smiled and took the card. "You're a lifesaver." Stuffing the card into her pocket, she turned away.

"You…uh…" The woman cleared her throat and gestured at the empty side of her booth. "You wanna join me?"

This was unexpected. Maggie didn't have a lot of time to decide unless she wanted to draw attention to them. "Sure. Let me tell the waitress. Thanks." She flashed a smile and went back to her original seat. "Hey! I'm moving over there." She pointed.

"No problem, hon. That poor girl looks like she could use a friend. Came in last night looking like someone ran over her dog or something." The waitress shook her head. "Food should be up in a couple of minutes."

Last night. That fit with Maggie's information. She slid into the booth with the coffee she'd taken from the counter.

"I've got a gun under the table," the woman hissed between lips that barely moved. Maggie's eyes shot up and met a murderous glare. "Keep your hands where I can see them."

Maggie did as ordered. "Look," she murmured back. "I'm here to help."

"Shut up!" Maggie heard the distinctive sound of a gun safety being released. "Not here. When your food shows up, we're going to ask for boxes. You're going to leave with me."

Not good. Maggie had spooked her target. And this wasn't someone Maggie wanted to go hand to hand with. "Sure. No problem." Moving slowly, Maggie picked up her coffee and sipped. Long, quiet minutes passed before Maggie's fish and salad arrived. She pulled an apologetic smile. "I know I've been your worst customer, but… Could I get this to go?" She reached across the table and took the woman's free hand, never breaking eye contact with the waitress.

"Worst customer?" The waitress rolled her eyes. "Unless you paint your name on the floor in ketchup, you're the least of my problems. I'll be right back." She trundled off, and the woman glared at Maggie across the table.

"Put on a happy face, babe. You want to leave? I'm all yours." Maggie kept her voice low as she leaned forward. "Because when the people you really need to worry about start asking questions in here, we're just gonna be two dykes who hooked up over lunch."

The woman's hand clenched into a fist under Maggie's before slowly turning and linking their fingers. She even managed a smile, if Maggie discounted the obviously-clenched jaw.

"You two enjoy the rest of your day." The waitress winked at Maggie as she dropped off several Styrofoam containers and their bills. "Separate? Or together?"

"I'll take care of both," Maggie said. She eyed the totals and took a couple of twenty-dollar bills from her wallet. "Keep the change." Returning the wink, she continued. "I might be back for that pie later."

Tucking the money into her apron, the waitress laughed. "You do that, hon. The apple's the best, especially with ice cream. Bring your friend. I'll save a couple of slices for you." She hustled off when the bell over the door rang.

"Let me out first," Maggie said. "That way you know where I am." And Maggie could watch for the guys Darla had warned her about. "I promise, you don't need the gun." She quickly loaded all the food into containers and stuffed them into the plastic bag the waitress had included.

"Go." Maggie slid out at the terse command. They left with Maggie in front and the woman behind her, one hand resting warningly on her back.

The sun was blinding and hot outside of the cool diner interior. "My truck's over here."

"Why would I…" the woman started.

"Listen up, babe. I'm here to help. You're on the run, and I'm guessing you ditched whatever you were driving and planned to steal something from here." Slowing slightly, Maggie wrapped her free arm around the woman's waist. "I bought my POS using cash yesterday in National City with a fake ID. It's yours once we sit and talk about how to get you to a safehouse."

Her companion didn't say anything.

"You're welcome," Maggie said anyway. "At least you won't have Podunk PD chasing you because you swiped a car." She unlocked the passenger-side door of a blue Ford F-150. "Hop in."

"You first. Slide all the way across." The woman was a hard sell.

Maggie dug in her heels this time. "Bucket seats. A little hard to slide." She turned to face the woman behind her. "Trust me for a few minutes. Once we're buckled in, you can…" Movement across the lot caught her eye. "Don't shoot me."

Two men who moved with military precision and dressed in the best "mercenaries-R-us" black tactical pants and t-shirts headed for the diner. One of them glanced their way as Maggie went up on her toes and pulled her companion into a kiss.

The body pressed against her stiffened, and Maggie grabbed a belt-loop with one hand and a handful of soft, short blonde hair with the other. Too bad this was an act. The woman had the softest lips, and the hands fisted in the back of Maggie's shirt were strong. Just the way Maggie liked them.

When they pulled away, Maggie stared up into darkened brown eyes before remembering why they'd kissed. The parking lot was empty. "Let's go. They're inside."

Trotting around the front of the truck, Maggie climbed behind the wheel. The woman hopped into the passenger seat, reluctance in every fiber of her being. "Where to?" Maggie asked.

There was no answer.

"Listen," Maggie put all her cards on the table. "My name is Maggie Sawyer. I'm a detective with NCPD. My ex-girlfriend is a Roltikkon. She gave me some intel about you and your situation. I'm trying to help."

The words were low but uttered with less obvious tension. "There's a motel about two miles from here. Take a right out of the lot, and a left at the first light."

Maggie hit the gas – and went in the opposite direction. "I know the place. Let's make sure anyone who sees us leave can tell your friends we _didn't _go that way." Maggie took well-used, visible roads to another local motel. She'd rented a room using the same ID she'd used to buy the truck.

She'd asked for a room in the back after scoping out the location. She drove passed the room and out the alley connecting with another road.

"Smooth," the woman commented.

Maggie grinned. "It's not my first rodeo."

"It is mine." More pensive now, the woman stared out the windshield. "You're taking a huge risk."

"Darla thinks you're worth it," Maggie responded. "We may not be together now, but I trust her." She glanced at her companion. "Those guys. They're too close. You need a new game plan." Turning into the woman's motel, she backed into a space between a mini-van and an SUV. "And we need to hurry."

This time, the woman didn't argue. Maggie had to run to keep up with the ground-eating strides. "It's me, Kara, and I've got…I've got a friend with me," the woman announced to thin air as they took the stairs to the next floor.

The room was right at the landing. The door opened as soon as they reached the top.

"Who is she?" The other target grabbed Maggie by her shirt collar and lifted her off the ground with a single hand.

Now Maggie understood. The guys at the diner. There had been rumors among her CIs about a group hunting aliens. Darla had even alluded to it one night at The alien bar.

"A detective from NCPD. She's got a Roltikkon friend who sent her our way." The other woman patted the hand holding Maggie. "Put her down, Kar. We need to go. CADMUS is only a few minutes behind us."

Maggie's feet hit the ground.

"But…" Kara protested. "How do you know we can trust her, Alex?"

"My gut." Alex was stuffing a duffel with clothes and toiletries. "Stop talking and start packing. You can eat in the truck. I got food to go."

While they cleared the room, Maggie peered out the window. So far, so good. Unfortunately, she didn't have a good line of sight to the truck. The longer they took, the better chance those goons found them.

Thankfully, Kara and Alex didn't have much. In minutes, they were all out the door. Maggie took the lead.

"Wait." Alex put a hand on Maggie's shoulder. "Kar, is anyone in the lot?"

Kara moved next to Maggie and…peered at the concrete floor. "No. There are people in several of the rooms." She frowned in concentration. "Heart rates are in normal range for humans. No one except Maggie's on edge."

"Now we move," Alex said. She brushed passed Maggie, pulling a weapon from the holster at the small of her back.

It took less than two minutes for them to stash the gear and Kara in the back seat of the extended cab and pull out of the lot. This time, Maggie avoided any major road.

"Here, Kar. Eat." Alex handed the bag full of food to Kara.

Maggie tried to hide her surprise when Kara opened one of the boxes and crammed half of what had to be Alex's hamburger into her mouth. Through the enormous mouthful, she asked, "Didju ee?"

"Yeah." It was a lie. Maggie _knew _it was a lie, but Alex didn't bat an eyelash.

And that's when Maggie took a good look at both her passengers. Kara had already finished the burger and fries. She hadn't slowed her pace as she tore into Maggie's fish. Her features looked sharp and her clothes… The t-shirt she wore hung off her shoulders.

Alex, though… Maggie nearly cursed out loud. If Kara was underweight, Alex was skin stretched over bone. As if Alex was starving to cover an alien appetite that would be easy to track through abnormally-large food orders.

"Settle in for the ride. I've got a safe house lined up a few towns over, courtesy of Darla and a few other friends I've made." Maggie took an unmarked dirt road through a field. "We can stop for more food, too, if you're still hungry."

"Thanks." Kara's voice was shy. She'd finished eating and had slumped forward against the back of Alex's bucket seat. Maggie noticed that she'd reached around the seat. Her fingers twined with Alex's as Alex's thumb brushed soothingly over the back of Kara's hand.

"No problem, kid. Just sit back and relax. You'll be somewhere secure in no time." Maggie vowed to make that true.


	2. I Won't Let You Down

Maggie hit the lights and sirens the second she cleared downtown. Unfortunately, National City drivers had no respect for cops. "Get out of the fucking way!" she shouted, jamming her hand on the horn.

The driver in front of her raised a single finger.

"Oh, I'm ticketing you later." Maggie mentally noted the license plate then roared around him when a gap opened in the oncoming traffic. Of course, the driver was on his cellphone. She pulled in front of him and picked up speed.

She pressed a pre-programmed number on a disposable phone she'd prayed she'd never have to use. "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up." Maggie feared her call was too late. She'd been caught up at the bar. She hadn't made the connection until Darla…

_Darla! Maggie dodged EMTs and other cops. The odor of smoke and burned wood and flesh caught in the back of her throat. Covering her mouth with the collar of her NCPD jacket, Maggie rushed into the alien bar._

_She slid to a stop. Years as a cop, witnessing the worst that humanity had to offer, didn't prepare her for the wholesale slaughter inside. Brian lay sprawled over the debris of a broken table. A pair of Astonians lay in a pool of shimmering fluid. A series of large entrance wounds suggested they'd died from gun shot wounds. _

_A trained observer, Maggie automatically catalogued the details while she searched the remains of the fire and the bodies littering the room. _

_Darla was behind the bar._

_Alive. Barely. "I need an EMT!" Maggie dropped to her knees. Ripped off her jacket, holding it over the hole in Darla's stomach. "Hang on, babe. You're going to be OK."_

"_No." A bloodstained hand gripped Maggie's. "It's too late. You have to go."_

_Go? Maggie shook her head. "I'm staying right here."_

"_The men…who attacked." Darla's voice faded. The jacket was soaked with blood. More blood pooled beneath Darla. "I…I touched one." Each breath whistled in Darla's throat. "Cadmus. Heard Cadmus, and Luthor. They…they hated us all. Aliens."_

_Cadmus. The same name Alex had mentioned when Maggie had moved them to the safehouse. _

"_Have to hurry." Darla's voice was an urgent wisp of sound. _

"_Where's a fucking EMT?" Maggie shouted. "Hang on, babe. Hang on." Maggie pleaded, knowing nothing could save Darla now. Her skin was cold against Maggie's hand._

"_Hurry, Mags. Brian…told…safehouse." Maggie bent her head over Darla as the fingers gripping her hand dropped limply to the floor. Darla's eyes stared sightlessly through Maggie. _

"_Oh, babe." Tears burned Maggie's eyes even as she stood. Darla was dead. She couldn't do anything more for her ex. But there was a small chance she could still save Alex and Kara._

Darla's blood had dried under Maggie's fingernails and crusted on her hands. The sight pushed Maggie's control to the breaking point as she listened to the phone ring and go unanswered. Dread coiled in Maggie's stomach.

She couldn't be too late. She couldn't lose Darla _and _the couple Darla had died to protect. The speedometer inched up. Maggie tried the phone one more time, eyes leaving the road long enough to verify she hit the correct button.

It rang once.

"Yes?" Kara's soft, hesitant voice filled the car.

"It's Maggie. You and Alex need to get out! Now!" she ordered. "Cadmus is on the way. They know where you are."

There was no immediate response.

"Kara!" Maggie would apologize for the frustration and fear behind her shout. If she got the chance. "I'm on my way, but they have a head start. They killed my ex and a bunch of other aliens to find you. Get! Out!"

This time, Maggie got a response. The familiar sound of gunfire. She cursed, trying to coax even more speed from the old, unmarked sedan. "I'm five minutes out. Take the underground exit. I'll meet you at the egress site!"

Through the rapid-fire percussion of automatic weapons fire, Maggie heard Alex respond. "Got it. Kara! Now!" Then the phone went dead.

Maggie had to trust they'd find a way to escape. Darla had said the house was part of an alien underground network. Those who'd found a safe place, a life, and had resources provided for new refugees or those who could never pass as human. Safehouses. Undocumented jobs. Health care and even education in cities with large alien populations.

Darla had been an active member. She'd told Maggie about the house when she'd admitted she wasn't human. "I won't let you down, babe," Maggie told a phantom Darla. "These Cadmus fuckers aren't getting Alex and Kara."

The car fishtailed violently as Maggie took a gravel drive just outside of the small town where she'd hidden Kara and Alex. Rock and dirt spewed from beneath the tires, and Maggie fought the wheel until the car stabilized.

Gravel made for a very uncomfortable drive at high speeds. Maggie's hands vibrated as the car rattled down the washboard road. The tunnel exited into a rundown barn. When Maggie had spoken to Darla about the location, Darla said no one had used it for years.

Which didn't explain the trampled grass or the black, military Humvees. The dozen men in black fatigues brandishing weapons.

Or the two figures floating above them in the air.

Kara and Alex.

Maggie cursed. They were out-numbered and out-gunned. Darla's voice whispered in her ear, "_They…they hated us all. Aliens."_

Too fucking bad for Cadmus. They weren't getting the alien dodging bullets in the air. She slammed on the breaks and jumped from the car before it fully stopped. Maggie pulled her Glock and the backup from her ankle holster. The goons hadn't seen her. They were too busy shooting at Kara and Alex.

It made it easier to drop two of them easily. Unfortunately, even the thrill of shooting an alien in a barrel didn't cover the sight of two bodies hitting the ground. Diving behind the open driver-side door, Maggie flinched as slugs slammed into the metal.

"Kara!" Maggie hoped Kara's hearing was good enough to pick up her voice despite the firefight. "Get in the car! I'll cover you!" She didn't wait for an answer. Popping up from her crouch, Maggie emptied the clip in her Glock and smoothly ejected the spent magazine.

She had one extra magazine in the glove compartment – which Maggie hadn't remembered to grab. Stupid! Stupid mistake! Maggie holstered the gun and stood. She had six rounds in her backup. She'd have to make them count.

Before she could fire, Kara landed on the hood of the car with a bang.

Maggie stopped planning her shots and prayed she could give Kara and Alex enough time to get into the car. They were running out of time. The Humvees were headed in their direction. Maggie fired her last round as Kara slammed the rear passenger door.

The tires tore up grass as Maggie stomped on the gas pedal. "Hang on!" She didn't spare a glance into the backseat. She focused on getting away. The Humvees were better suited to the terrain, but Maggie had to hope she had better intel on possible escape routes.

Driving back to the main road, Maggie headed for the tiny downtown area. Terrorist organizations rarely wanted to advertise their murderous intent. Less than a mile from their destination, the back window shattered. Kara cried out.

Maggie glanced in the rearview mirror. Green lines fluoresced under Kara's skin. Blood coated her shirt. Too much blood for someone who'd been shot mere seconds before. Most of it had to be Alex's blood. Maggie hadn't noticed the way Alex slumped against Kara.

She dragged her attention back to the road. To getting away. Closer to town, there were other cars. Maggie slowed down even though every instinct screamed for her to go faster. Military vehicles stood out. Maggie's bland sedan didn't. She passed a few drivers who couldn't hit the speed limit, hid between two massive trucks, and then shot into a parking lot and turned off the engine.

The seconds they sat felt like days. But neither Humvee followed them into the lot nor appeared to slow down. Maggie waited until they were out of sight before turning in the seat. "Are you good to move? They'll figure out we stopped."

"We have to get the bullets out." Alex sat up, and Maggie could _feel _the effort she expended to hide her pain. "They're poison for Kara."

Not for you? Maggie wanted to ask. She didn't. "I'm no surgeon."

A smile flickered. "I can pass for one in a pinch." When Kara whimpered, the smile vanished. "Watch for those assholes. I'll take care of this. Then we go." Alex rapped out orders with ease.

"You got it, boss."

She got a snort in response. As Maggie scanned the parking lot, she watched Alex pull a knife from somewhere. "Hey, Kar. We're gonna get those things out of you first."

"Burns, Alex." Kara sounded like a terrified kid, and Maggie wanted to shoot every one of the bastards in black.

"Yeah. But it'll all be better soon." Alex was cool and controlled. Until she continued. "Close your eyes. Don't watch."

Maggie made the mistake of looking in the mirror as Alex dug into Kara's shoulder. Kara's muffled scream ripped through the car. Worse than Kara's pain and the weirdly-glowing bullet Alex pulled out were the tears streaking _Alex's _face. She appeared gutted at having to deliberately hurt Kara.

"Got it." Alex tossed the bullet into the front seat. "One more and you'll be as good as new." Kara didn't make a sound. Maggie was surprised until she looked into the mirror again. The kid was unconscious. "Toss those fucking things out the window," Alex told Maggie as a second green-glowing bullet landed in the front seat.

"What about you?" Maggie demanded. "You're bleeding like a stuck pig."

Alex shook her head. "Through and through. Didn't hit anything important. Once we figure shit out, I can stitch it up."

Maggie grabbed the bullets. "We need a new car. Not wanting to do the thing I told _you _not to do aside, we're going to have to take one from here."

"And go where? Cadmus has found us no matter what we do." Alex brushed a strand of Kara's hair away from her face, leaving a trail of blood behind.

"I've got a place. One they'll never connect to us." Darla had never reclaimed the apartment key she'd given Maggie while they dated. Maggie swallowed the knot in her throat at going there. Being so close to Darla, knowing… "Give me a minute to get us new wheels."


	3. President Would Like To Speak With You

"My name is Kara Zor-El." Kara's voice held an unaccustomed accent as she spoke. One Maggie had never heard, despite the weeks they'd spent together. "I'm the last daughter of Krypton."

Appearing completely at ease, Cat Grant leaned back in her chair. "You saved the plane? You're Supergirl?"

Even though they'd all sat down prior to the interview to discuss questions and possible answers, Maggie still marveled that the shy, rambling kid she'd rescued was an alien and a superhero. Watching Kara straighten under the bright studio lights, lines of stress and sleepless nights covered in heavy pancake makeup, Maggie realized there was far more to Kara. A sort of old school nobility and breeding.

"I believe that's a name you created, Miss Grant." Kara tilted her chin higher and stared directly into the camera manned by one of Kara's co-workers at CatCo. "I saved that plane because a group of anti-alien terrorists, supported by the American government, placed a bomb aboard."

Maggie could see Alex clench her fists at Kara's bold statement. She'd been against this interview. Against Kara exposing her secret identity.

"_We can't keep running, Alex." Kara took one of Alex's hands and brushed a tender kiss over the knuckles. The gesture so intimate that Maggie would have glanced away if she hadn't been part of the conversation. "I know you're only trying to protect me, __**shesur**__. You have always tried to hide me from the dangers of this planet, but it's time I protected __**you**__. CADMUS isn't going to stop. Not until you're dead, and I'm locked in a cage in one of their labs."_

_Alex wasn't on board. She gripped Kara's fingers so tightly Maggie suspected only Kara's alien biology prevented them from breaking. "That won't happen. I'll find another way!"_

_Kara glanced at Maggie. Not a plea for help. For once, Kara wasn't caving to Alex's promises. "There is no other way, 'lex. Not this time." There was a steely resolve in Kara's expression as she continued to hold Maggie's gaze. "There have been too many sacrifices. I owe it to every human and alien who gave their life for us and for other refugees."_

Cat was the consummate actor. She frowned. Tilted her head. "The American government?" Disbelief dripped from the words.

Damned if Kara didn't meet that question with more poise than most Heads of State. "Do you believe I would come to you, the Queen of All Media, with only rumors and accusations?" Kara held out a flash drive. The culmination of weeks of investigation and semi-legal hacking. Everything that Alex, Maggie, Kara, and a host of friends inside NCPD and Alex's black-ops organization, the DEO, could muster.

This was it. Maggie tensed, and saw Kara's friend Winn typing frantically at his keyboard.

They'd chosen a live broadcast for the interview to make it harder for CADMUS or the government to shut down the feed. Winn was their last line of defense. He waved one hand in a warning signal.

"I see." Cat didn't show any sign that she knew they were on borrowed time. "I assume you are comfortable if we air this information?" There was a tablet on the Cat's lap. They'd planned for this. She slipped the drive into the tablet without waiting for Kara's consent.

In an instant, the monitor behind Kara's head flickered to life.

Winn's hand waved with increased urgency.

Maggie drew her weapon and moved into place. She watched Alex shift, so she had a clean line of sight to the studio entrance. Despite Cat using an old broadcasting station and Winn bouncing their signal off servers around the globe, they wouldn't remain hidden forever.

As they'd rehearsed, Cat and Kara changed to Plan B. Questions about Krypton and Kara's life on Earth went unasked. "Why is the government after you, Supergirl? You're a hero."

"I'm an alien, Miss Grant. And I am not the only target." Kara's voice caught; Maggie knew from the practice interviews that this was where Kara struggled.

"_We need to focus on why the US Government is hunting a superhero." Cat scribbled on a legal pad. "People will flock to Supergirl. The picture of the plane, with you holding it on your shoulders…"_

_Kara, huddled against Alex, shook her head. "It can't be about me, Miss Grant."_

_That got a fiery glare. "And which of us is the Queen of All Media, Kiera? Who knows how to manipulate public opinion better than Newt trying to excuse his affair with future Wife Number Three?"_

"_No!" Kara held firm, and Maggie saw Cat's lips almost turn up in a smile. "This can't be about one person or one alien. Not even one you turned into a superhero. This is about every being who was kidnapped and tortured, who died because of CADMUS or to keep other refugees safe." Then Kara's passion crumbled into a hollow shell. "I watched my planet explode. Billions of lives lost while my…while I escaped. I won't let more lives be sacrificed for me again."_

As the real interview rushed forward, Maggie heard Kara's voice ring with conviction. "I've been lucky, Miss Grant. I can pass for human as long as I hide the gifts your yellow sun provides. But so many of my fellow refugees can't. And those differences make them targets for people like General Sam Lane and Lillian Luthor. Look at what your government has done to aliens and humans alike."

The video footage Alex's contacts had uncovered turned even Maggie's stomach. She was glad she didn't have to see it again.

"That's…" Maggie couldn't decide if Cat was playing a role as her voice faded at whatever horror she and all of CatCo's viewership watched. "That's unconscionable." Cat was reacting to the video. "This group, the one kidnapping innocent aliens off the street, they've been hunting you?"

The lights in the studio flickered.

"Welt, I know I paid the electric bill this month," Cat snapped. "Get those lights up and the video back on!"

Maggie raised her gun and took a deep breath. She had to make each shot count.

"And we're back," Cat announced. "It seems tonight's special program has caused a few waves. Our broadcast was just hacked in an attempt to hide the truth. They won't succeed!"

Footsteps in the hallway. They were down to the final minutes now. The room rocked with an explosion as the CADMUS or military troops triggered one of the traps she and Alex and designed.

"Miss Grant, too many have died for me. I won't let you and your production crew..." Kara began.

"We're here with you to the bitter end, Supergirl." Cat had been clear on that fact all along. "While we wait for our guests to join us, tell us about your family here on Earth. I understand that you've found a bit of happiness in all this drama."

Another explosion. The lights flickered – and remained off. The backup generator that Winn had dug out of the building's basement kicked on. It wasn't there for the lights. The only illumination was Winn's laptop screen and the camera. Although, Maggie suspected the broadcast was not blocked.

Hopefully, Plan C (or were they now down to Z?) would keep the next part of the "show" on-air.

The double doors sprang open.

Maggie took the lead. "NCPD, put your weapons on the ground and drop to your knees!"

They didn't, of course. Instead, the camo-clad soldiers moved with disciplined precision into the studio. "I'm afraid this is out of your jurisdiction, Detective Sawyer." A man strode in behind the gun-toting goons.

"Under the Knott Amendment, General, your troops don't have the authority to execute any laws within the boundaries of the United States." Cat faced off with the general like he was a buck private and not sporting four stars on his BDUs. "You're already facing court martial for at least six violations of your vaunted UCMJ that I can come up with off the top of my head."

His smile made Maggie's skin crawl. "Your dislike of the military is well-known, Miss Grant. When this evidence you seem to have disappears, this little broadcast of yours will be nothing more than a publicity stunt." The general turned to one of his men. "Get that flash drive and anything they might have used to save or record information."

"You move and I'll shoot." Alex had stepped in front of Kara the minute the doors opened. Maggie had expected nothing less. "Starting with you, General Lane."

"Agent Danvers. I was hoping to see you. I have a cell with your name on it." He didn't even flinch, and Maggie knew just how scary Alex could be when she felt cornered. Lane thought he held all the power in this exchange. "The US Government takes treason very seriously."

This was devolving into a shit show. One that went further downhill when two of the soldiers opened a flap on their body armor to reveal glowing green gems.

"Alex!" Kara sounded the way she had the day Maggie had rescued them from the safehouse. Young and in terrible pain. Maggie risked looking away from Lane and the guns. Kara had dropped to her knees.

"You bastard!" Alex broke at Kara's cry. Before Maggie say or do anything, Alex fired. One of the green-glow-y men staggered.

Her actions triggered a chain reaction. Soldiers rushed at Maggie and Cat while others fired at Alex. "No! Alex!" Kara was a blur. One that shielded Alex from certain death. She writhed as the slugs landed, blood soaking the clothing Cat had arranged for the meeting.

Into the sudden vacuum created with Kara's collapse, Cat's cell phone rang. "General, you'll want to hold off on shooting anyone for a minute." She tapped the phone screen. "Olivia? I'd hoped you'd call sooner. General Lane just shot Supergirl. Oh? You're watching it live on YouTube?"

With a flourish, she held the phone out to the general. "The President would like to speak with you."

* * *

Sipping her beer, Maggie leaned against the porch railing. This place was a slice of white middle-class heaven. A far cry from her family's two-bedroom ranch-style house in Nebraska. Then again… Glancing at the email she'd received that morning, Maggie decided she might be able to afford her own slice of heaven when she returned to National City.

"I take it you got the offer?" Alex wandered over.

"Offer?"

Alex's laugh was as unfamiliar as her new auburn-dyed hair. "Need me to spell it out for you, Loo?"

"Bitch!" But Maggie grinned and toasted Alex with her beer. "I'll give you a free pass today only. I'm in too good a mood to ruin it by kicking your ass – on your wedding day, no less."

"I think you have that backward." The pushback was pro forma. All of Alex's attention was across the yard. On Kara.

The kid was talking with Cat, all waving arms and electric smile. A smile not even the cold-hearted Queen of All Media could withstand from her warm expression. Kara no longer looked like a fugitive. She'd gained weight; her hair was blonde; there were no bruises under her eyes.

All in all… "She's a keeper, Danvers."

The angry, gun-toting, ready to go out in a blaze of glory agent turned into a puddle of sappy goo. "Fuck, yeah." She pushed away from the railing, and Maggie read Alex's sudden urgency. "See you around, Sawyer."


End file.
